Draft regulator



Sept. 26, 1933. E SOURBER 1,928,272

DRAFT REGULATOR Filed July 22, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet l fil a Sept. 26, 1933. E. J. SOURBER DRAFT REGULATOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 22 1952 W m M 5 M M Patented Sept. 26, 1933 PATENT oFFi'cE imam. REGULATOR 'Earl Jacob Sour-her,- Pottsvilleplfal Application July 2.2 1932. Serial No. 624,109

' *4 Claims. (01. 126*293) This invention aims to provide a simpler but effective means, adapted to be used inconnection witha known form of heater, and a'known form a of water tank,'fo'r controlling the draft, through the action of a thermostat, thereby keeping the water at proper temperature at all times and preventing the dischargeof dirty water resulting from sediment or rust in the tank; t

It is within the province of the disclosure-to improve generally and toenhance the utility of devices of that type towhich the invention appertains.

With the above andother objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the preciseembodiment of the invention herein disclosed, may be made 'withinthescope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings:

in accordance with the invention, parts being broken away,; and parts being in section;

Fig. 2 is ;a longitudinal section of the tubular housing and parts associated therewith; 1

.. Fig. 3 isa section on the line 33 of Fig. 2;

- Fig. 41s a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig.5 is a'perspective view illustrating one of the shafts; f

Fig. 6' is a sectional viewillustratingthe means whereby one of the connections is assembled with the lever to which it is connected.

The numeral 1 indicates a tank or boiler, of the kind used to heat'water in houses or elsewhere. The numeral 2 designates a heater, of the kind commonly known as a bushel-a-day-heater.

The heater 2 has a stoke door 20. The lower part of the stack for the heater 2 is designated by the numeral 3, and the numeral 4 designates the upper part of the stack. With the inner ends of the parts 3 and 4 of the stack is assembled a de- F tachable tubular housing 5. A water pipe 6 con- -nects the lower part of the water tank -1 with the water space of the heater 2, and a pipe l connects the upper part of the heater. 2 with the water tank 1.

In one side of the tubular housing 5, there is an opening 8, and there is a slot or hole 9 in the housing 5, opposite to the opening 8.

The housing 5 carries an offset 10, of V box-like form, in which is journaled a shaft '11, inclined slightly with respect to the vertical, as shown. inv "Fig. 2. The shaft 11 has an arm 12, extended out 'such as a piece of wire, with'the inner arm of of the offset 10, and to the arm 12 is secured a closure 14 which controls the opening 8.

The shaft 11 has a laterally extended crank arm 15, to which a link 16 is pivoted, and on the link 16, a stop in the form of an adjustable sleeve 17, is slidably mounted, the sleeve having reciprocation in a notch 18 in the offset 10. The sleeve 17 is held inplace, adjustably, by a nut 19 threaded; on the link 16.

A second, horizontal, or dampershaftZl is mounted for rocking movement in the housing 5 and carries-a damper 22 located within the housing. The damper 22 is mounted off'center on the shaft 21, so that the damper tends to open by its own weight. On one end of the shaft 21 there is a short arm 23, intowhich an adjusting device, such as'a screw 24 is threaded. The numeral 25 designates a supplemental arm having a box-likeend 26 for the reception .of the short arm 23, the box-like end 26 having i a slot 27, throughwhich the adjusting screw 24.

. extends, the head of the adjusting screw bearing Fig. 1 shows in elevation, a device constructed on theouter surface of thepart 26, on opposite sides of the slot 27. On its inner side, the part 26 of the arm 25 has a fork 28 which straddlesthe shaft 21. Intermediate its ends, the arm 25 is provided with an inwardly extended notched finger. 29; An adjustable stop, such as a screw 30, is mounted in the bottom of the offset 10 and is adapted to engage the arm 25 intermediate the ends of the said arm. The stop screw 30 is held in adjusted positions by a lock nut 31'.

On its upperend, externally of the offset 10, the supplemental arm 25 carries an inwardly projecting pivot element 32. In Fig. 6, two concaved disks 33 are shown, and one of these disks has a tubular hub 34 on which the other disk is secured. The hub 34 is mounted to rock on the pivot element 32 of the arm 25. A connection 35, such as a piece of wire, is engaged around the hub 34, between the'disks 33. An adjustable connector 36 is interposed in the connection -35.

A bell crank lever 38 is fulcrumed at 39 on a bracket 40, and the bracket 40 has a stop 41 which, engaging the inner arm of the bell crank lever 38, limits the movement of the bell crank lever.

The bracket40 is held on the tank 1 by a band 42, and; a-similar band 46 holds a thermostat 47 on the tank 1. The thermostat '47, which may be of any desired construction, includes a shaft 48 having an arm 49 united by a connection 50,

the bell crank lever 38. A connector or adjuster 51 is interposed in the connection 50.

When five or more gallons of water are drawn from the tank 1,. the cold water which enters the bottom of the tank cools the thermostat, and motion is transmitted to the arm 25, by way of the thermostat shaft 48, the arm 49, the connection 50, the bell crank lever 38, and the connection 35. The weight of the offset damper 22' causes it to open, asthe arm 25 moves to the right in Fig. 2, and, at the same time, the closure 14 closes by gravity, because the shaft 11 is so canted as to cause the part 14 to close. is put on the fire in the heater 2, and the water is heated accordingly. As the water in the tank 1 becomes heated, a reverse operationtakeaplace, the arm 25 being swung to the left in Fig. 2, and the damper 22 being closed; 'As the" arm 25' swings to the left in Fig. 2, the finger; 29; onthe arm 25 engages the inner end of the adjustable sleeve 17 on thelink 16 and moves the link 16' to the left, rotationLbeing imparted to the shaft 11 by way of the crank arm 15 on the said shaft,

the arm 12.opening the closure 14, and the draft being cut down accordingly.

'By operating the screw 24, the arm 25 may be adjusted circumferentially of the shaft 22, onv

Whenthe pipes connecting theheater 2 to the water. tank 1. arecorroded', and the circulation.

is.poor,'therebycausing-agitation in the heater and rusty. water is produced, the stop. screw. 30.

comesinto. play, so as to.shorten the travel of the-arm 25, thereby reducing the draft.

The slot9, shown in Figs. 2 and 4' breaks the, suction on the closure 14,.andrendersthe closure easy: to open. .Some users contend that if there. is.- a. strong draft, andifthe slot-.9 is.omitted,.too. much work is thrown on the automatically-aot ing door-controlling mechanism;; specifically on.

the thermostat 47 Although the device has been shown as used;

Thus, more draft ,itingthe movement of the in connection with a heater that employs coal as a fuel, it will be understood that the device is equally applicable when gas or any other fuel is used.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:-

1. In a device of the class described, a housing having an opening, a closure controlling the opening, means forclosing the closure, comprising a shaft :Journaled in the housing and having an arm carrying the closure, a second shaft journaled in the housing, a damper carried by the second shaft, an arm on the second shaft, the arm, comprising relatively adjustable parts, and means for adjusting said parts with respect to each. other so as to change the angle of the arm with respect to the damper, means for operating the arm to close the damper, and means connected togthe first shaft and engageable by the arm on the second shaft to open the closure as the damper is closed.,

2. A device of the class described constructed; as set forth in claim. 1, in combinatiom with an adjustable stop mounted on the housing andllmarm on the second". 1

shaft.

3 In a. deviceofthe classzdescribed, a vertical. housing having an opening in: its side, a substantially vertical firstshaft journaled in the housing and having an arm; a horizontally swinging closure located" onone side ofitheafirstzshaft and. carried by the first shaft, the closure controlling the opening, the first shaft being set atan= acute angle to thevertical; whereby theclosure-tends. to swing horizontally and close by gravity, a sec ond'. shaft, which is horizontally disposed and is: journaled in the housing, onthe oppositesid'e of the first shaft, a damper in. the housing and mounted on the second shaft, an arm on the second shaft, means for operating the arm to close the damper-{and meanspconnected to the first shaft and engageable by the arm on the second shaft to open the closure as the damper is closed.

4. A device of the class described, constructed: 120 asset forth in claim 1, and further-characterized by the fact that the housing is-provid'ed witha hole, normally open, and spaced from theopening, the hole serving to break the suction in the housing, and rendering the closureeasilyopened,

' when there is a strong draft in the housing.

EARL JACOB" SOURBER. 

